Jon Nash- Turfgrass Intern- A View From Inside the Ropes at the JD Classic

Jonathan Nash - John Deere Classic 2019

I was lucky enough to volunteer alongside the agronomy team at the John Deere Classic this year, the PGA tournament was hosted at TPC Deere Run for its 19 consecutive year. TPC Deere Run is a fantastic golf course situated in Moline, Illinois, the challenging course architecture and picturesque landscape makes it a perfect location to host a PGA tour event. 

I was assigned my roles for the week upon arriving so I could accustom myself to new maintenance practices and machinery prior to the tournament. These roles included hand mowing greens before play, mowing approaches using a triplex and hand mowing tees, bunkers. The agronomy team including volunteers numbering 50 in total and TPC Deere Run converted their workshop into a relaxing, social area including beds, couches, televisions and even a massage therapist.

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and learned  a lot about tournament conditions in relation to turf and agronomy. I was able to network with other international and domestic greenkeepers, this was rewarding as I learned about golf course management practices being used in other countries and areas of the US. I found it very interesting learning about the TPC network and a gratifying opportunity to work at a tournament players club. 

Thank-you,

Jonathan Nash

Turfgrass Intern, Hyde Park Golf and Country Club